The Darling Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2021
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Spectator
Wine
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This classic Sauvignon Blanc has tropical and citrus notes on the nose, followed by a crisp palate that has great texture and length.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This has terrific texture, revealing a supple, almost creamy edge to the vibrant, mouthwatering mix of fresh ginger, apple, lemon curd and melon flavors, with a hint of peach blossom that lingers.
Other Vintages
2018-
Wong
Wilfred
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Parker
Robert
Chris Darling and Bart Arnst teamed up in 2007. After making great wine for other people they decided to make great wine for themselves under The Darling label. Using only certified organic grapes to make their wines, they find it increases quality and gives certainty to the integrity of the wines. With over 45 years of winemaking experience between them, Chris and Bart make regional, complex wines, that drink well on any occasion. The wines are certified organic by BioGro New Zealand. While limiting the impact to the soil and earth, organics helps you to connect with wine that is safe and can be traced to origin. Chris and Bart also believe they are seeing an increase in quality over time. The vines are allowed to come into balance, producing thicker skins and therefore greater flavor.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.